Potato-digger.



' I J. MOREAUL POTATO DIGGER'. APPIlIOATION FILED DEC. 7. 1905.

PATENTED 00130, 1906.

Inventor,

By Y I V jI AT ENTED OCT. so, 1906.

J J. MORBAU POTATO DIGGBR. APPLICATION FILED DEG; 'I 1906- s sums-sum 2.'

Inventor,

Attorneys THE uomus PETIRI cd.,'wAsumaroN, n. c.

No. 834.315. PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

J. MORBAU. POTATO BIGGER.

APPLIOATION FILED 10110.7. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses: Inventor,

PETERS cm, wAsumnrou, o. c.

Attorneys vide an apparatus the de UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOSEPHMOREAU, or ST. GERMA'IN DE GRANTHAM, QUEBEC, CANADA.

' POT'ATQ- DlGG-ER.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented 'Oct. 30,1906.

' A, 1 Application filed December 7, 1905. Serial No. 290,826.

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as-will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to potato-diggers. The object of my invention is to provide a simply-constructed apparatus adapted to dig potatoes and separate-the soil and herbage therefrom.

A further object of my invention is to proth of the cut of which may be easily regu ated without the use of special mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to pro+ vide ina potato-digger a horizontally reciprocable separating-basket and to provide means for reciprocating the same; and my invention consists, of the construction, com-' ing-b earings.

bination, and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, I have illustratedone form of embodiment of my invention, in

which drawings-similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the separating basket detached fromthe-apparatus. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, show ing-the connection between the frame of the apparatus and one of the hangers adapted to support one end of the. separating-basket. Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in section, of the rear shaft of the apparatus. Fig. 7 is a plan view,partly in section,-of a portion of the front shaft of the apparatus and its support- Fig. S'is a perspective 0 one of the supporting-collars for the rear shaft of the apparatus. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one of the bearings for the front shaft ofthe machine, showing the connection for the draft apparatus; and Fig. 10 is a rear elevation, partly-in section, showing the construction of a bearing for the supporting-shaft of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawin s, 1 designates a pair of longitudinal paralle frame members.

The forward ends of these members are connected by means of a curved digging member 2, adapted to enter the soil beneath the potatoes. Secured to one of the side members 1 is a sleeve 3, which extends to and is secured to the other side member 1 by means of the bolts 3 and late 3*, Fig. 10.

Disposed in the s eeve 3 is a shaft 4, carry- I ing on its outer end the small supportingwheel 5. Secured on the frame member 1 on the side opposite to the wheel 5 is a bear ing 6, carrying a stub-shaft 7, which stubshaft carries the large wheel 8; The wheels 5 and 8 form the support for the framemembers, and the sleeve 3 serves to connect the frame members 1.-

= Secured to or formed integral with the wheel 8 isa sprocket-wheel 9, over which is passed the chain 10, running over a sprocketwheel 11 on a shaft 12, disposed transversely of the frame members 1 and extending approximately two-thirds of the distance between said members. The shaft 12 is supported by the sleeves 13, one ofwhich is placed on each side of oneof the frame members 1, preferably the left-hand'frame member looking from the rear end of the apparatus.

Disposed on the shaft 12 are sprocketwheels 14. Disposed} on the forward ends of the frame members 1 are the upwardly curved bearings 15, adapted to support a transverse shaft 16. Disposed on the shaft 16 are sprocket-wheels 17, in alinement with the sprocket wheels 14. Connectin the sprocketheels 14 and 17 in pairs are c ains 18 and connecting the chains are transverse slats 19.

Extending from the digging member 2 upwardly and rearwardly are rods 20, the rear ends of which are connected to a cross-bar 21, carried by the frame members As best shown in Fig. 2, some of these rods 20 extend to the rear of the cross-bar 21 and are connected to the upper edge of arearwardly-inclined apron 22, which is carried by the frame members 1. One of the bearings 15 is extended forward of the other bearing to permit the attachment of the draftattaching means 23.

The shaft 12 adjacent one end is provided with a cranked portion 24, to which is connected a rod 25. Adjacent the end of therod 25 there is disposed on the opposite sides of the frame member 1 plates 26, connected by rods 27, one of which rods 27 forms a pivotal support for the plates 26. A similar construction is observed at the corresponding point on the other frame member 1. end of the rod 25 is connected .to one of the connecting-rods 27, so that the plate 26, to which it is connected, is given areciprocatory movement.

The lower ends of one of the plates 26 are provided with slots 28 to provide for a connection with the side members 29 of a separating-basket.

The side members 29 and the basket are connected by the front end members 30, and the rear end of the basket is connected to the side members by means of the braces 31. The bottom of the basket is formed of rods 32 or foraminous material, as is also the side 33 of the basket, to permit the soil to pass therethrough and to retain the potatoes therein. Pivotally connected to the forward end of. the basket are links 34, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected, as at 35, to the frame members 1. The rear ends of the frame members are curved downwardly to form handles 36, and adjacent the front end of the apparatus are provided vertical cuttingblades 37, adapted to separate the soil as it is thrown up by the digging member 2. In the operation of my invention the apparatus is drawn forward by any suitable means, and by means of the handles 36 the forward end of the apparatus may be raised or lowered, the apparatus being balanced on the shafts 4 and 7. As the soil and potatoes are raised by the digging member 2 they will be carried upward and backward by the slats 19, carried on the chains 18, which chains will be caused to travel by means of the sprocketwheels 14, carried on the shaft 12, which shaft is actuated by means of the sprocketwheels 9 and 11, the former of which is secured to the large wheel 8. The smaller clods of soil will fall between the rods 20, and the potatoes will be retained until they are elevated past the cross-bar 21, where they will fall between the rods 20 into the basket-bot- One tom 32. The herbage and large clods will be retained by the rods 20, extending to the rear of the cross-bar 21, and finally will be thrown upon the apron 22 and will fall to the rear of the apparatus.

As the shaft 12 is rotated, as hereinbefore described, its cranked portion 24 will cause reciprocation of the rod 25 and the consequent rockin of the plates 26. This rocking motion 0 the plates 26 will be communicated to the side members 29 of the basket, which will be rocked on the links 34, thereby freeing the potatoes from any adhering soil.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a potato digger, the combination comprising wheeled frame members, a conveyer, a cranked shaft carried by the frame members, means for driving the cranked shaft, a plurality of plates disposed on opposite sides of one of the frame members, rods connecting said plates, one of said rods being adapted to serve as a pivot for said plates, a rod connecting the cranked portion of said shaft with one of the connecting-rods of said plates, a separating-basket disposed beneath the frame members, links connectin one end of the basket to the said frame members, and a pivotal connection between one end of the separating-basket and said plates.

2. In a potato digger the combination comprising a Wheeled supporting-frame, a digging member carried by the frame, a conveyer carried by the frame, means for actuating the conveyer, a basket carried by the frame comprising side members, end mem-8 5 bers, braces connecting the end members and the side members, and sides and a bottom of'foraminous construction, and means for reciprocating the basket.

In witness whereof I hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MOREAU.

Witnesses:

I. MYNARD, Jos. J. B. CHARBONNEAU.

have hereunto set my 

